Is this Captain Henry Gadsden of the Transport Arago?

If you’ve read much about the U.S. Navy in the Civil War, you’ve probably come across this much-published image:

Sometimes this image is identified as being David Dixon Porter (see here, and here, and here), but that’s almost certainly wrong. Apart from the full, bushy beard, it doesn’t much look like him, the build is wrong (Porter was not a pudgy guy), as is the sleeve braid — in fact, it doesn’t follow any of the sets of uniform regulations that applied during the war for line officers.

Check out the irregular spacing between the top stripe and the lower set on the left cuff.

What do you think? Same dude?

The Library of Congress caption identifies the ship with the prefix “U.S.S.” Arago, but that’s incorrect — she was never formally commissioned into the U.S. Navy. Arago was a big, ocean-going sidewheel steamer, launched at New York in 1855. She was 285 feet long, with a beam of just over 40 feet. Her iron-framed paddlewheels were 33 feet in diameter.

Arago probably would have spent her career running between New York or Boston and Europe, but in 1862 she was chartered by the U.S. Navy to hunt down the Confederate ironclad Virginia (Merrimack). The timely arrival of the U.S. Navy’s warship Monitor at Hampton Roads on the night of March 8-9, 1862 would put an end to the threat posed by Virginia, and Arago spent most of the rest of the war under charter to the U.S. Army, transporting men and supplies up and down the eastern seaboard. In July 1863, Arago even captured a blockade runner off the Carolinas, which must have been an extremely rare occurrence for a chartered merchantman. Although she was an important part of the Union’s logistical effort, as far as I can tell Arago was never a commissioned warship, or directly owned by the U.S. government.

Is the man with the cuff stripes, the one photographed by the rail with the telescope under his arm, and photographed again supervising gun still on the ship’s main deck, the Arago‘s master? It certainly seems plausible. If so, it’s likely Captain Gadsden himself.

Like this:

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Chartered to hunt down the CSS Virginia? An unarmored sidewheel steamer, which was — AFAICT from those pictures — armed with cannon which would have been pitifully ineffective against an ironclad? And the Federals knew exactly where the Virginia was, no hunting necessary. I don’t think anyone expected her to hide, either, if she got past the Navy at Hampton Roads. The whole thing seems pretty crazy to me.

Just like anyone mistaking that for a picture of Admiral Porter. Besides the obvious dissimilarity in body types, the nose and cheek are completely different: Porter has a long nose and a prominent fold above the mouth/below the cheek bone, while the man in the picture has a short, slightly upturned nose and a flat cheek.

I think you’ve probably got it right by identifying this as a photo of the Arago’s master.

Yes, to be used against CSS Virginia. I was sloppy in my writing and erred in saying that this was before the Confederate ironclad’s encounter with USS Monitor, when in fact the episode was concurrent and immediately following, but it happened. It’s a sign of just how rattled and panicky Washington was over the prospect of Virginia getting loose. The intent, evidently, was to ram Virginia. Arago’s civilian crew were none too happy about it, that there was something of a mutiny on board, detailed at this website:

SIR: I regret exceedingly the necessity that compels me to apply to you for a supply of officers and men to make this ship at all serviceable to the Government.

Since my announcement to the men that this ship was to be used as a ram against the rebel floating battery Merrimack, a panic has seized the crew and most of the officers and men refused duty. In the engine department all refused with the single exception of the chief engineer. In the sailing department my chief officer is sick with Chagres fever and must be sent home, and the other officers and fourteen seamen refuse to serve any longer on board. I am therefore compelled to apply to you for at least 4 engineers, 12 firemen, and 12 coal passers, 4 deck officers and 12 seamen, until I can procure from New York or elsewhere other men to fill the positions vacated by those who have determined to leave this ship before 4 o’clock p.m. this day.

Again regretting the necessity of making this application, I remain, sir, yours, obediently,

That makes a bit more sense. The Arago’s only advantages would have been speed and maneuverability. Which would have lasted just about as long as it took the Virginia to put a shot through something vital. Hard to blame a civilian crew for looking a bit askance at the prospect.

It certainly says something about how the authorities must have regarded the outcome of the clash between the ironclads. In private, anyway.

Great detective work with the photo comparisons, Andy. The really interesting story here is how the US Navy expected the Arago to tackle or at least delay the formidable ironclad Virginia. As you state, it possibly suggests some of the desperation on the part of War Department officials to get as much water-borne firepower as possible to Hampton Roads before the Virginia set sail & fortunately for Captain Gadsden and his crew, the encounter never occurred. Thanks for the informative post!